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Minefield warning sign, Cambodia, 1997-2002

Landmines were laid in Cambodia during the 1979-1989 Vietnamese occupation and afterwards as a means of defence from enemy attacks. Landmines are laid underground and are detonated by pressure – usually when stepped on. Since 1979, 25,000 Cambodians – most of them civilians, many of them children – have lost limbs because they stepped on landmines.
The red coloured signs with skull and crossbones warn that landmines are present in the area. Used in Cambodia, the signs were produced by the HALO (Hazardous Areas Life-Support Organisation) Trust. HALO aim to remove landmines. The warning is written in English and Cambodian.